Paridhi Joshi - Odissi Classical Dancer

Paridhi Joshi - Odissi Classical Dancer

In a gorgeous pink saree,
with her ever-radiant eyes,
she puts on her dancing bells,
and elegantly she shines.

She is Teejh and this is her story.

Paridhi Joshi, a talented Odissi dancer based in Bangalore, has been dancing to the beats of her dreams since the age of 13. She is the personification of the Modern Indian woman who is strong, independent and balances her life and this traditional craft with a graceful smile on her face.

We had a quick rendezvous with this Nalanda Nritya Nipuna Award 2020 winner to get a glimpse of her journey from an ordinary girl to a brilliant performer and nonetheless her insights on how she relates with TEEJH.

When was your first performance as a dancer and what do you remember about it?

As an Odissi dancer my first solo performance was in 2016. I still remember that moment when I was very unsure if I was ready to go on stage as a soloist? It was a moment in my life when I realised that all the eyes and focus would be on me and I will have nothing to mask.

I am really thankful and grateful to my teacher because she was very confident about it and she said, “Paridhi just go and do your best, give your best shot, be happy and dance for yourself.” A message that she has always given me is that- don’t dance for anybody else, you don’t have to do anything for anyone in the world, just dance for yourself and for the joy that it gives you.

When did you decide you wanted to be a professional dancer?

As a classical dancer I started at the age of 13. I was initially training in Bharatanatyam in Delhi under my Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan Ji and since the last 5 years I have been learning Odissi under Shreemati Madhulita Mahapatra.

When I started pursuing Odissi, a point came in my life where I had to make the conscious choice of the amount of time I wanted to invest in Odissi, which is when I decided to take a step back from my career in the retail industry. I was loving the amount of dance and stage performances that were in my life. I genuinely thought that I wanted to invest more time into classical dancing because 10 years down the line I might not be in the same state of body and opportunities as I am now. That is when I decided to do it and I have no regrets about it.

What is your biggest motivation and inspiration in life?

My biggest motivation is the fear of looking back at life and saying that Why did I not try it? Therefore, whatever I really want to do and whatever I am passionate about, I try to do everything. I am known as a multi-tasker amongst my peer group and I feel one should just do whatever is calling them and then rest everything falls into place.

Atleast, it did for me!

Looking back at your journey, is there anything you feel you could have done differently?

I am happy where I am today and if things did not materialize the way they did at different points in time, I do not think I would have been here. So, I am very happy and content about where I am right now.

How do you feel receiving the Nalanda Nritya Nipuna Award 2020 ?

There are certain milestones in the journey of becoming a good dancer yet I think there is a lot of scope for learning. The journey of learning never ends for a classical dancer . I can never say that I am finished with learning , so when these achievements come in my part it just motivates me to do a little better. It uplifts me from my day to day life and inspires me to just keep going on.

What are your future ambitions?

I want to be regarded as a good solo performer and also leave a legacy in dance. As far as dancing is concerned you can only leave a legacy in terms of certain video references or the kind of students that you create. Your lineage is your students, what they perform and the work that you have done in your life span.

How do you relate with Teejh?

I instantly connected with the range of Teejh because it was traditional yet modern. Today’s women do not want to be bound only with traditions, a balance that everybody is trying to strike. The entire range of Teejh jewellery speaks for that. You do not need to limit it to ethnic attire, you can easily team it up with a pair of jeans and T-shirts or any Indo-western outfit. I would call it a fusion range, it is not over the top and not very understated, it has its own statement that Teejh women are trying to portray in the world. That is why I instantly had this connection with the entire range of Teejh products.